


The First New Year

by mldrgrl



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Developing Friendships, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:49:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22072057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mldrgrl/pseuds/mldrgrl
Summary: New Year's Eve, 1992
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 4
Kudos: 68





	The First New Year

If she hadn’t promised she would show up, she would have just stayed home. Parties in general were never her thing and New Year’s Eve was the worst of them. Inevitably, revelry would be taken too far and she wasn’t looking forward to a house full of inebriated strangers. She had promised though, and so she would have to endure or break her word.

Knocking was useless and even the doorbell couldn’t be heard over the music and laughter from inside the house. Cautiously, Scully opened the unlocked door to Ellen’s foyer and squeezed past a cluster of men sipping alcohol from plastic cups and arguing about upcoming Superbowl playoffs. She snaked her way down the hall, past flanks of people; men in sweater vests and party hats, women in tight dresses and tiaras announcing HAPPY NEW YEAR and 1993 in glitter and gold. She adjusted the folds of her trench coat a little tighter, feeling more out of place in her black turtleneck and wool trousers than when she first walked in.

Hoping to find Ellen, the kitchen was the first place she checked. All she found there was more people, cases of wine and beer, and trays of assorted hors d'oeuvres that could feed an army. Apparently all of Cathedral Heights was invited to tonight’s party.

Scully located Gene, Ellen’s husband, before she found Ellen. He was holding court by the fireplace and lifted a glass in her direction when he saw her and waved her over. Even though Gene was her best friend’s husband, she wasn’t exactly well-acquainted with him. He was a corporate attorney, dedicated to his career and had little free time. He made Ellen happy though, and that was all that mattered.

“Dana,” he said, drawing her in and kissing her lightly on the cheek. “Good to see you. This is Steve Wentworth and Tripp Lightfoot. Steve just made partner this year.”

“Congratulations,” she said, forcing a smile.

“But, you haven’t even taken your coat off yet.”

“I just got here.”

“Dana and Ellen go back to Annapolis,” he explained. “Isn’t that right? You grew up on the same base? Their father’s were Navy.”

“That’s right.” She nodded in agreement and searched the room. 

“My Grandad went to West Point,” Tripp or Steve said. She wasn’t sure which was which.

“Sorry, I just need to use the ladies room and then...”

“Past the kitchen.”

“Yes.” She forced another smile and drifted away. 

Finally, she located Ellen at the back of the house in the enclosed porch at the back of the house. Her friend and another woman were chatting and hanging coats on portable racks that were set up for the occasion.

“Dana!” Ellen cried, rushing over to hug her friend. “Oh, I’m so glad you came. I know you hate these things. Linda, come and meet my oldest friend.”

“Good to meet you,” Linda said. “El, I’m just going to use the phone in the den and check in with the babysitter.”

“Oh of course, of course. Go in through the side, we locked the French doors to keep people from wandering in.” Ellen took both of Dana’s hands and squeezed them. “It is so good to see you. It’s been too long.”

“I know.”

“Oh, but let me take your coat. So how are you? How’s the teaching going?”

Scully reluctantly shed her trench coat into Ellen’s waiting hands. “Teaching is good,” she said. “I’ve had a new assignment though. Sort of. On an as needed basis. Field work.”

“Field work, that’s exciting.”

“It is, actually.”

Ellen hung Scully’s coat up on the rack with the others. “Where’s Ethan?”

“Oh.” Scully took a breath and then shook her head. “Ethan isn’t...we broke up.”

“Oh, Dana.” Ellen made a noise of dismay and her mouth drooped into a frown. “What happened?”

“Nothing really happened, we just...didn’t really have time for each other anymore.”

“Well, I’m sure there are plenty of eligible bachelors here tonight, though I don’t even know half of them. Mostly colleagues of Gene.”

“How’s Trent?” Scully was eager to change the subject from eligible bachelors.

“At Gene’s parents tonight, thankfully. They got him one of those Gameboy things for Christmas and I honestly don’t know if it’s a godsend or an instrument of evil. It’s kept him out of my hair at times, but just try to take it out of his hands!”

“Mm.” Scully nodded, but the struggles of parenting were foreign to her. 

“He loved those cars you got him though! Your mom brought them to midnight mass, I hope she told you.”

“I know, I was sorry I couldn’t get them to you myself, it’s been a little hectic, but I’m glad he liked them. My...partner suggested them.”

“Partner? Part of the new assignment?”

“In a way. I mean, I guess I don’t really know what to call him yet.”

“Him! Is he attractive?”

Scully opened her mouth slightly and then paused. Mulder was attractive, but she’d tried not to dwell on it or think too much about it. But, he dressed well, he was always clean cut and shaven, and he smelled incredible. He was also roguishly charming, which was a bad sign. And given her track record with Daniel and Jack, she had made a vow never to find anyone she worked with attractive ever again.

“Yeah,” she finally said. “I guess he’s...cute.”

“Cute is good. Tell me more ab-“

“Ellen!” Gene called out to his wife and then he appeared around the door, leaning into the frame from the other side of the wall. “Honey, sorry to interrupt. Where’s the case of Coke? I thought we left it in the fridge in the garage and I can’t find it.”

“Let me check.” Ellen widened her eyes in feigned panic at Scully and smiled. “Hostess duties call. I want to know more about this cute partner of yours though.”

“I mean, there’s nothing really…” Scully trailed off. Ellen was distracted and already out the door.

With a sigh, Scully looked around the empty room. It was just her and a hundred coats. She opened up the small purse that was strapped across her chest and rested at her hip. She’d only brought the essentials with her; her ID, her phone, her debit card, and a tube of lipstick in a small case. She took the lipstick out and checked her face in the small mirror inside the case. There was a smudge of mascara at the corner of her eye which she fixed with a fingertip and then she closed the case and put it back in her purse.

Steeling herself, Scully headed back to the kitchen and found herself a glass of wine to sip. She wandered the first floor looking for someone, anyone she might know, but didn’t recognize anybody. She didn’t know how to insert herself into conversations without being awkward and so she remained a wallflower, quietly observing from a corner.

“It’s Dana, right?” Tripp or Steve from earlier sauntered up to her.

“Yes.”

“Tripp. We met earlier.”

“Right. You work with Gene.”

“I do. Gene said you were in the FBI. That’s got to be pretty exciting, even for a secretary.”

“I’m not a secretary.”

“Oh, I don’t mean you are. I just mean, it’s the FBI. Covert ops and all that. Secret intel. Everyone from the janitor to the head honcho probably has things they have to keep hush hush.”

“I see.” Scully took a sip of her wine and tried not to look disengaged.

“So what do you do there?”

“I’m a Special Agent.”

Tripp whistled low. “What does that mean exactly? You’re a spy?”

“It means I’m licensed to carry a weapon and I’m trained to use it.” She couldn’t help herself at being a little sarcastic, but it came out a little more flirtatious than she would’ve liked.

“I guess I should be on my best behavior, then.”

“Luckily, I’m off duty tonight.”

“That is lucky.”

Her phone rang in her purse just then and she took it out and looked at the screen. She didn’t recognize the number, but she answered anyway. Even if it was a wrong number, it was an opportunity to extricate herself from her current conversation and she wanted to snatch it up. She raised an apologetic finger at Tripp and then turned away, covering her ear with the side of her wine glass to block out the noise of the room.

“Scully,” she said.

“Oh hey, Scully, I didn’t actually think you’d answer.”

“Mulder?”

“Guilty.”

“Is something wrong? Is it a case?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at...a friend’s party.”

“I hate parties.”

She took a glance at Tripp and saw him sipping his beer and pondering the windows like he was pretending not to be interested in her conversation. “Yes,” she answered. “You and me both.”

“But, you’re at one?”

“Well…”

“Let me guess, you promised that friend you’d come and you’d rather be miserable than break a promise.”

She closed her eyes and her cheeks burned a little in embarrassment. “Something like that, yes.”

“Well, I don’t want to bug you, I just wanted to say thank you.”

“For what?”

“I got your Christmas card.”

“My...Mulder, I sent that weeks ago.”

“Sometimes I get a little distracted and forget to open my mail.”

She laughed. “And you chose 11 o’clock on New Year’s Eve to catch up?”

“I wasn’t doing anything else, so…”

“Well, you’re welcome.”

“Have a happy New Year, Scully. I’ll let you get back to your party. It sounds like...a party.”

“You have a happy New Year too, Mulder.” She hung up the call and then stared at the phone in her hand for a few moments.

“Nothing urgent, I hope,” Tripp said, mildly. “Our national security isn’t at risk, is it?”

“It could be. I don’t work in that department.”

“So what department do you work in?”

“Pathology, mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“I’m sorry, could you excuse me? I just realized I need to make another call.”

“Sure.”

Before she could talk herself out of what she was about to do, Scully hurried back to the sun porch to retrieve her coat. Along the way, she dropped her half-empty wine glass off on a tray of other used glasses. She found her trench coat fairly easily and swiped one of the many bottles of champagne off the counter in the kitchen, tucking it under her arm as she tied her jacket closed and slipped unnoticed out the door.

Traffic was light, but it still took almost forty minutes to get to Mulder’s apartment. She had to stop a few times to consult her map and make sure she was making the right turns. His block was tree-lined and quiet. The apartment building was brick and stately. A couple that were making their way out the front door let her in before she needed to buzz and she took the elevator to the fourth floor to search for number 42. When she found it, she knocked lightly and then stepped back to wait.

“You’re not the pizza guy,” Mulder said when he opened his door. He was barefoot, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. It was the most casual she’d seen him aside from his running clothes.

“Afraid not.” She held up the bottle of champagne though and he took it from her by the neck.

“Won’t this be missed at the party? Won’t you be missed as well?”

“Me and the champagne will go unnoticed. And I figured, I kept my promise by showing up. I never agreed to stay until midnight.”

“I like your logic. Come in?”

For the first time, Scully stepped into Mulder’s apartment and took it all in. It was dark and mismatched, but it still felt cozy. It wasn’t quite the bachelor pad she was expecting, but she’d yet to see the kitchen or bathroom so she should probably reserve judgment.

“I was just watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” he said.

“Anything good?”

“Not really. Should I pour this champagne now, or should we wait?”

Scully looked at her watch. It was ten minutes to midnight. “Pour it now,” she said.

“Sit down. Make yourself at home.”

She took her coat off and hung it on the rack by the door. Despite Mulder’s casual attire, she didn’t feel out of place here like she did at the party. She unzipped her boots and took those off too. Her socked feet slid precariously across his wood floor. His couch was made of soft leather and she sank down into it. A fish tank bubbled quietly next to her and she gazed at the tiny fish darting back and forth inside.

“Sorry I don’t have anything more formal,” Mulder said, coming into the room with two coffee mugs balanced in one hand and the champagne bottle in the other. “I don’t entertain all that often.”

Scully chuckled as he handed her the mug with Marvin the Martian on the side and sat beside her. The one he kept in his hand had the New York Knick’s logo on it. He poured the champagne into her cup first and then his and she waited until he’d put the bottle down to clink their mugs together.

“Cheers,” he said.

“Cheers.”

They both took a sip. Mulder licked his lips and then nodded. “It’s good,” he said.

“I should tell you my godson loved the Hot Wheels you told me about.”

“I did?” Mulder looked at her blankly and tilted his head in question.

“It’s okay, it was an offhand remark. About hot toys of the season. I remembered it when I was shopping for him and...well, you should get the credit for it.”

“Oh. How old is your godson?”

“Seven.”

“Yeah, that’s probably the prime target for the Hot Wheels market.”

Scully turned her attention to the TV and The Village People singing YMCA in low volume, interspersed with people screaming and dancing, waving noisemakers and blowing horns. 

“I hope you didn’t leave your party because of me,” Mulder said, suddenly.

“No, I left the party because of me,” she answered, after thinking it over for a few moments.

“Why’d you show up here?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t really want to be at that party, but I also didn’t really want to be at home either. And then you called and…”

“I’m a step above being alone.” His chuckle echoed into his mug before he took another sip of champagne.

“It wasn’t that. I don’t know what it was, actually, but it wasn’t that.”

They were both quiet again and Dick Clark announced a commercial break before the final countdown. Scully looked at her watch again. Four minutes to go. Time seemed to fly by so quickly.

“Do you ever make resolutions?” she asked.

“Not really. Do you?”

“Sometimes. I can’t really think of anything this year, though.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it means you’re living the life you want to live.”

“Hm.” She thought about that all through the commercial break. She barely had enough time for friends or family this year, let alone a relationship. Her work was both exhilarating and fulfilling, but was that enough? She considered herself to be content and happy, but would she always feel that way? Should she be making time for other people now before it was too late?

“Hey,” Mulder said, bumping her shoulder with his. “Eight, seven, you’re missing it, four, three, two, one. Happy new year!”

Scully snapped out of her reverie and joined him at number three. They tapped their mugs together again and took longer sips of champagne as Auld Lang Syne began to play on TV. The screen was filled with confetti and celebration.

“Scully?” Mulder said.

“Yeah?”

He leaned closer to her, hesitated for a second, and then placed a quick kiss on her cheek. “Happy new year,” he said.

She stared down at his knees for a few moments and then reached up to touch the spot on her cheek where his lips had been. “We can never be together,” she said.

“What?”

“I just...I should tell you that I can never date a coworker again, so…”

“Again?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, but…”

“I didn’t mean to give you a false impression, or...or…”

“I didn’t get any impression.”

“So that we’re clear.”

“Maybe it was me that-”

There was a knock on Mulder’s door that startled them both. He cringed and then set his mug on the coffee table and pushed himself up from the couch. She downed the rest of her champagne and pressed the back of her hand to her flaming cheeks, one at a time.

“You like sausage and pepperoni?” he asked, returning to the room with a pizza box in hand.

“I should probably…”

“I like working with you, Scully. I just want to throw that out there because I think we both misread something tonight and...you’re right. We can never be together because I like working with you too much.”

“Oh.”

“It was just a friendly kiss on the cheek is all.”

“You just want to be friends?”

“I kind of thought we already were. Sort of.”

“We can be friends.”

“Okay.” Mulder sat down again and made room on his coffee table for the pizza box. “Well, would you like to share this pizza with me, as a friend?”

“I think I will take you up on that offer, yes.”

“In that case, I should get some plates.”

“Mulder.” She touched his arm, keeping him in place next to her. After a brief pause, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, trying not to think about how warm his skin felt or let her eyes droop as she breathed him in. She could not be attracted to her partner, not now, not ever.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“Happy new year?”

He smiled, but she noticed that his eyes shifted down to her mouth and then back up again. “So, friends?” he said.

“And partners.”

“That depends on how good of a spy you are.”

“Mulder, I’m not…”

He raised his brows at her and she lowered her eyes.

“I like working with you too,” she said. “With you. Not against you. Not for any other reason than...the cases are interesting. The work is interesting. You’re…”

“Interesting?”

“Yeah.”

“Well…” Mulder picked up his mug, but noticed she was empty and poured more champagne into hers. “To 1993,” he said, raising his cup.

“To 1993.”

They tapped their mismatched mugs together and then Mulder got up to get the plates.

The End


End file.
